Quick answer
Seasonal importers usually place orders three to six months before the selling season, which means paying deposits and balances long before peak sales arrive. Funding a seasonal order means covering that whole stretch: production, transit, clearance and the selling period. A line of credit sized to the pre-season peak, or a property-secured loan for large seasonal builds, are common structures.
Key points
- Lead time, not sales, drives when seasonal import cash goes out.
- Overseas factory shutdowns and peak shipping periods can stretch lead times — build them into the plan.
- The cash peak usually lands just before the season starts, when the stock has arrived but hasn't sold.
- Plan the post-season clearance: unsold seasonal stock ties up cash until next year.
Why is seasonal importing a cash-flow problem?
Seasonal businesses already live with uneven income. Importing adds a second layer: the lead time. If your peak is Christmas, summer, back-to-school or a sporting season, the stock has to be ordered, made, shipped and cleared before it starts — and paid for along the way. The money goes out in the quiet months so it can come back in the busy ones.
That’s the opposite of how most small businesses like to run. Cash is usually thinnest just before a peak, and that’s precisely when a seasonal importer’s commitments are highest.
How do lead times stack up?
A seasonal order’s timeline, working backwards from the day you want stock on the shelf:
| Step | Plan for |
|---|---|
| Stock on shelf / ready to ship to customers | Your season start date |
| Unpacking, checking, delivery to stores or 3PL | A week or two |
| Clearance and port | Days to weeks, longer if inspected |
| Ocean transit | Several weeks, depending on route |
| Waiting for a vessel and loading | Can stretch in peak shipping periods |
| Production | Weeks to months, depending on the product |
| Samples, approvals and deposit | Before production starts |
Add those up and the deposit for a Christmas range may be paid in winter. Holidays in the supplier’s country — including extended factory closures around major festivals — and busy pre-Christmas shipping can make it earlier still. Our import order calendar guide sets out a full-year plan.
Where is the seasonal cash peak?
The peak isn’t at order time. It’s usually just before the season opens:
- Deposit goes out months ahead.
- Balance goes out when production finishes.
- Border costs land when the goods arrive.
- Sales start — slowly at first — and only then does cash come back.
At the start of the season you’ve paid for everything and sold very little. If your customers are retailers on 30 or 60-day terms, the peak stretches further. The import cash timeline planner shows exactly when that happens for your dates.
How are seasonal import orders funded?
| Approach | Suits |
|---|---|
| Line of credit sized to the pre-season peak | Businesses with more than one season, or overlapping orders |
| Unsecured term loan repaid after the season | A single, clearly defined seasonal build |
| Property-secured loan | Large seasonal volumes, or where turnover alone won’t support the amount |
| Supplier terms plus a smaller facility | Established buyers who’ve negotiated lower deposits |
Unsecured and line-of-credit options for trading businesses typically run from $5,000 to $500,000, sized on turnover and bank statements. Keep in mind that turnover-based limits are assessed on your whole year, so a seasonal pattern needs explaining — which is exactly what a real person can do when they look at your enquiry. If you’d like that conversation, start here — no credit check to ask.
For larger builds, property-secured import finance from $20,000 to $5,000,000 is an option.
How can I reduce seasonal risk?
- Order in two waves. A core order early, a top-up once you see early-season sales. The top-up costs more per unit to ship but protects you from over-ordering.
- Book freight early. Peak-season space and equipment can be tight. A forwarder can advise on booking lead times.
- Allow for delays. An inspection hold or congested port can push arrival back; see demurrage and port delays.
- Plan the clearance. Decide in advance how you’ll clear leftover stock — bundles, trade sales, or holding core lines to next year.
- Watch BAS timing. Big import GST payments before the season can mean a large credit on the following BAS. Knowing when it comes back helps plan repayments.
Illustrative example
Illustrative only. A pool-and-outdoor-toys importer sells most of its range between October and January. It pays deposits in May, balances in July, and clears containers in August and early September. By mid-September, about $260,000 is tied up with only a trickle of early sales. Retail customers pay on 30-day terms, so the cash doesn’t really come back until November and December. A facility drawn from May and repaid through summer covers the gap; a smaller top-up order in October is funded from early-season sales.
What should a seasonal importer track each year?
The best seasonal plans are built on last year’s facts, not memory. After each season, write down:
- Actual lead times — deposit date to stock on shelf, for each supplier.
- Landed cost per unit — against what you budgeted, and why it moved.
- Sell-through by week — which lines sold early, which needed discounting.
- Leftover stock — what’s carried to next year and what it cost to hold.
- The cash peak — how much was tied up at the worst point, and when.
Those five numbers make next year’s order sharper, and they’re exactly what a lender wants to understand about a seasonal business. They also show whether your facility limit is right, or whether you were quietly relying on supplier goodwill and late BAS payments to get through.
Get the season funded before it starts
If your next season’s orders need to be placed soon, send us a quick enquiry while there’s time to plan. There’s no credit check to ask, and we don’t send your details to a list of lenders — one person works on your file and will call you. Tell us your season, your order timing and any property you own, accurately, so we can suggest the right structure straight away.
Frequently asked questions
How far ahead do seasonal importers order?
It depends on the product, supplier and route, but many order three to six months before the season when you add production, transit and clearance. Popular manufacturing periods and holidays in supplier countries can push that out further.
When is the cash peak for a seasonal import order?
Usually just before the season starts — the deposit and balance have been paid, the border costs have landed, and sales haven't begun in earnest. That's the point your funding needs to cover.
Should I use a line of credit or a loan for seasonal stock?
If you have one big season a year, either can work. A line of credit suits businesses with several seasons or overlapping orders; a term or property-secured loan can suit a single large pre-season build with a clear repayment point after the season.
What if the season is weaker than expected?
Leftover seasonal stock ties up cash until it sells, possibly at a discount or the following year. Ordering in two waves — a core order early and a top-up closer to the season — reduces that risk.
Can I get help with the GST on a big seasonal import?
Import GST is generally paid before goods are released, then claimed as a credit on your BAS if you're entitled. Eligible businesses can use the ATO's deferred GST scheme to pay it on a monthly BAS instead.